Lives of the Monster Dogs

Now on display at LEA6, as part of the Linden Endowment for the Arts Full Sim Art Series, is Lives of the Monster Dogs, an installation by Vilvi Rae that celebrates the furry community in Second Life. "'Furries' have been part of Second Life right from the beginning," explains Vilvi. "This colourful fandom of anthropomorphic animal characters reaches beyond virtual worlds, including large and varying creative talent. Lives of the Monster Dogs (name borrowed from Kirsten Bakis' enchanting novel) is an exhibition presenting that creativity, an attempt to give a glimpse of the furry community, showcasing some of the hidden talent it holds in its paws and claws."

The two-dimensional images are, as Vilvi said, from outside Second Life, but there are links to some of his excellent inworld machinima as well. I must admit to not having found myself very interested in the images (not against furries at all) despite the obvious curatorial care. The exhibition environment, on the other hand, is stunning: a series of platforms connected by delicately curved walkways formed by prims of increasing or decreasing depth, inspired by the work of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Lives of the Monster Dogs will remain on view through January.